Helicopter with tourists crashes in Russia; about 10 missing

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian news reports say a helicopter carrying tourists crashed Thursday on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s far east, leaving about 10 people missing.

The Emergencies Ministry said 13 tourists and three crew members were aboard the Mi-8 helicopter when it went down in the Kronotsky nature reserve, and eight people survived, according to the state RIA-Novosti news agency.

The Interfax news agency said the helicopter was carrying three crew members and 14 tourists when it went down in the deep fog. It said seven people survived the crash, and the search for others was ongoing.

The Emergencies Ministry quoted the regional administration as saying the helicopter plunged into the Kuril Lake in a volcano crater and the reserve workers in boats were searching for other survivors.

The Associated Press